Manufacturers traditionally use silicon dioxide (SiO2) or other dielectric materials with a dielectric constant of less than the dielectric constant (3.9) of silicon dioxide in microelectronic circuits to reduce capacitive coupling and, thereby, increase the speed of the semiconductor devices. These dielectric materials can contain organic groups attached to silicon (Si) in the silicon dioxide and are deposited by chemical vapor deposition. The dielectric material insulates adjacent metal lines and vias in the same layer (intralayer dielectric) or in two different layers (interlayer dielectric). Flat panel display manufactures have adopted dielectric materials and the corresponding technologies from microelectronic industries to build flat panel display screens.
Traditionally, the dielectric material used as intralayer dielectrics or interlayer dielectrics in flat panel displays is SiNx or silicon dioxide and is deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Manufactures chose these dielectric materials due to their good electrical performance. As the size of the flat panel display substrate increases, however, PECVD deposited traditional dielectric materials alone become too costly, and the PECVD cannot meet the manufacturers' requirements for planarization at the surface of the dielectric material.
Accordingly, a need or potential for benefit exists for a cost-effective method of forming interlayer dielectric and/or intralayer dielectric that provides suitable planarization.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements or signals, electrically, mechanically or otherwise. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled, but not mechanically or otherwise coupled; two or more mechanical elements may be mechanically coupled, but not electrically or otherwise coupled; two or more electrical elements may be mechanically coupled, but not electrically or otherwise coupled. Coupling (whether mechanical, electrical, or otherwise) may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant.
“Electrical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include coupling involving any electrical signal, whether a power signal, a data signal, and/or other types or combinations of electrical signals. “Mechanical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include mechanical coupling of all types. The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.